IDF Holds Surprise Drill in Golan Heights Amid Tensions with Iran

The Times of Israel reports: The military kicked off a surprise exercise in the Golan Heights on Sunday, calling up reservists amid ongoing tensions over Iran’s presence in nearby Syria.

“A short while ago, a large-scale surprise military exercise began in the Golan Heights area,” the army said in a statement. “In addition, as part of the exercise the system to call up reservists was activated,” the army said.

The military stressed that the exercise was not tied to current events but was “planned in advance as part of the 2018 training schedule.” Participating units were kept in the dark in order to test their reaction and conduct in the case of an actual outbreak of violence. The Israel Defense Forces said residents and visitors to the area could expect to hear explosions and see “increased traffic of vehicles.”